SAY ANYTHING // Anything Given Sunday

SAY ANYTHING with Bukowski
Max Watt’s, Melbourne
Sunday 25th February, 2018

The entrance to Swanston St venue Max Watt’s was overshadowed by a long snake of local fans lining up to catch a glimpse of Californian indie rock band Say Anything.

Say Anything are currently on their In Defence: Anniversary Tour with a string of six dates across Australia’s east coast. The slogan of the tour is “two nights, three albums,” as the group promised fans sets from In Defence of the Genre, Is A Real Boy, and Self-Titled.

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Melbourne punk rockers Bukowski opened up the night. Within seconds the room was transported back to the early ‘00s where the band’s particular brand of punk was featured on every indie radio station across the country. Frontman James Karagiozis gave a captivating performance, holding the audience in the palm of his hands. He did it with angst-ridden lyrics and high-octane delivery, mixed with… dad humour. “I had all these puns ready,” says James to an eager crowd, “but I decided not to Say Anything,” falling on groans and slow claps. You can blame his girlfriend for this particular vein of punny-ness presumably telling him beforehand that was “best one” of the lot. Gerard Dowling supported the band from behind the drums with unwavering exactitude. This drummer is very exciting to watch. Hats off for an incredible cover of Taking Back Sunday’s Make Damn Sure, introduced as a song they didn’t write, but didn’t rip off.

Bukowski // By Albert Lamontagne

An abundance of locals  turned out and there was a tangible sense of excitement. There was relief too: we feared singer Max Bemis’ warnings from doctors to take a break due to laryngitis would extend to this tour. All was well; his signature tenor melodies with a screamo edge were on point and every song was delivered with intense conviction, much to the delight of the room. We couldn’t see an inch of floor pit, the lads overwhelmed by adoration. On more than one occasion, Bemis would sing away from his mic, his songs carried by the audience chanting lyrics back to him in unison.

Say Anything // By Albert Lamontagne

Guitarist/Pianist Parker Case, touring guitarist Kenny Bridges and bassist Garron DuPree band interacted well with their surroundings: it felt like no part of the stage geography was off limits to anyone as they aggressively cut through each other’s territory with rhythmic precision.  They delivered brilliant harmonies delivered with confidence and evident experience.
A special mention goes to Zoe Spratling behind the lighting desk for an incredible lighting display making the band look epic and larger than life.

Say Anything // By Albert Lamontagne

The dichotomy of Bemis as a frontman is nothing short of entertaining to behold: one minute throwing his malfunctioning mic over his shoulder to deliver the next line through his Kenny’s mic. The next he’s counteracting such nonchalance with a heartfelt and humble thank you to everybody for their attendance announcing to his eager audience “how cool it is to have people so far from [their] home listening to and liking their music.”

Hopefully the intense reception from Aussie audiences entices this band to come back to our shores more often.

Catch Say Anything at their In Defence Australian Tour at the remaining dates.

Wednesday February 28, The Factory Theatre, Sydney NSW (18+)
Thursday March 1, The Factory Theatre, Sydney NSW (18+)
Friday March 2, The Triffid, Brisbane QLD (18+)
Sunday March 4, the Zoo, Brisbane QLD (18+)

Tickets available here.